Tuesday, December 6, 2016

I received the rights back to THE WICKED BAD (Book 1 of The Wicked Men of Rockland) It should be done at most vendors by now. One thing I don't like about POD (Print on Demand) even after you get the rights back, used copies are for sale on Amazon until the zombie apocalypse!

Book 2 is still with the publisher (Crimson Romance) and I hope to get it back this coming spring.

The Wicked Bad was my first longer work and released in the Spicy line. I do not write erotic any longer so this needs revisions. Didn't get much of an edit, which means it needs major revisions. It sold very well.

I will be changing the title slightly since it will have major revisions, to HE'S THE WICKED BAD, or something similar. I thought I would self-publish it. Now I may look at other options (like publishers who take previous published stories) who knows? I'm in no hurry.

Lots of time to work it out.

Meanwhile, keep an eye out for this series returning in one form or another.

Saturday, December 3, 2016

And the books that are reverting to me (as per terms of contracts) are coming fast and furious!

Now it is The Copper and the Madam's turn. Originally published in Dec 2013, I will be honest and say I wasn't exactly happy with the edit, as in cutting out sections. Now that I am revising and will be self-publishing, I can slip some of these deleted passages back into the story.

New cover has been ordered, Cora Graphics, who did the covers for the first two books in this series, will be doing this one.

I will be dialing back the heat just a notch, and adding some words, so this will go from about 35,000 words to close to 40,000.

This will leave only one book with Decadent Publishing. That one has a five year contract, and three years to go.

I will say Decadent has always been professional, the reverting has gone smoothly, and they always paid on time. Can't really say that about too many digital publishers lately.

In the meantime, Book 1 and 2 are available at E-Retailers.

Look for The Copper and the Madam coming sometime in early 2017.

THE GOVERNESS AND THE BEAST (Blind Cupid Series #2)

Blurb: With a new name and an eagerness to begin a new life, Lila Jenner answers an ad for a governess and embarks on an adventure she did not expect. Hiding secrets and a past she longs to forget, she is disappointed to find out she has been employed to be a companion of a different sort: To a man who embodies both beauty and the beast.

In a gothic, crumbling manor on the edge of a North Sea cliff, Baron Simon Wolstenholme is cloistered away from society. Horribly scarred from battle wounds, the baron lives up to his infamous title “The Beast of Stonecliff” in appearance and attitude and comes to the realization he’s been alone too long.

Simon bargains with Lila for a singular night of passion. A storm rages outside, but it cannot compare to the clash of emotions between a lonely man and a distrustful woman. Secret desires are revealed, hearts are laid bare. Many obstacles lay before them until they can admit their true feelings, though pride could destroy the fairy tale before it begins.

Anne Sommer, a spinster firmly on the shelf, does the unthinkable. She hires a man from the Blind Cupid brothel for a night of scandalous pleasure. Anne wants the sensual memories to keep her company in the lonely years ahead. However, she did not expect the young man to move her in ways she never imagined.

Desmond Glover gives sexual gratification—for a price. An orphan whose childhood was mired in scandal and poverty, Desmond has learned to close off his emotions with regard to his occupation. He did not count on a lonely spinster to awaken his hidden passion.

Not only do the years separate them, but so do their social standing. Can Anne and Desmond cross such a chasm and find mutual desire—or love?

This short story was previously published with a different title. Revised, re-edited, and more than 7500 words added. Heat Level: Very sensual

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

I have to chuckle when I read reviews stating: "This isn't realistic, no one falls in love in one night/first sight." Actually, yes, some people do. In actual real life. It is rare, but it happens.

So why not in a romance story? Why can't the characters fall in love during a short period? One Night? One week? One month?

Speaking as a romance reader, I suspend belief when I read for I believe a lot of romance is steeped in fantasy. The white knight riding up to rescue the damsel in distress. It is not based in any reality as real life is far more messy and complicated. I read romance to escape, immerse myself in another world, and to get that satisfying happily-ever-after.

Doesn't matter if its a short story, a novella, or a full-length novel, I'm there for the journey. I want to be entertained, moved, and rooting for the characters to overcome obstacles in order reach that HEA. I would never complain about the length of a story, in fact, a short story is a perfect length for that "insta-love" so many roll their eyes at.

I've seen reviews complaining about sex before falling in love. Well, that happens in real life too. Lust can turn to something deeper, why not have it unfold in a romance novel? Doesn't bother me.

So because all these things factor into my reading experience, it has manifested itself in my romance writing. I have written more than one story where the couple fall in love right away, especially in my shorter works. Yes, when I first started out, I wrote short stories and short novellas. I am not a trained writer, I had to begin with smaller word counts. I now write longer pieces with more complicated plots, but I still enjoy creating that journey to the HEA, whether it takes a night, a month, or a year.

You can't please everyone. As a writer, just craft the stories that appeal to you and know right out of the gate not everyone is going to like it. Reviews are soooo subjective. Whether its for a book, movie, or a restaurant. So I will continue to write the romance stories that appeal to me.

Friday, November 18, 2016

As I change what I write, and now that I am not writing as hot as I used to, my backlist is a strange mix of erotic romance and more mainstream fare. Also, as contracts with digital epubs expire and rights are reverted to me, a few series I had are missing books.

I finally was able to ask for the rights back to THE WICKED BAD from Crimson Romance. It is book one of The Wicked Men of Rockland. A series I am determined to finish. Book 2 is still with Crimson and I probably won't be able to ask for rights back to that until the spring. I know it will leave readers confused. But what can you do?

I did submit book 3 of TWMOR to Crimson, but due to real life issues, withdrew it. Then I made the decision I would finish the series on my own. I have reasons I came to this decision to not continue with this publisher which I will keep to myself because who else besides me would be interested? We all have our own reasons and opinions in the decisions we make.

Also, The Wicked Bad is erotic and I don't write this hot any longer. It wouldn't match the rest of the series. So I put this series on hold. The Wicked Bad has some problems, and I can't wait to fix them. it will take a few weeks as The Wicked Bad is removed from vendors.

Just received word today F and W Media (which owns Crimson Romance) was bought by Simon and Schuster. Good for them. Some authors are over the moon, a Big 5 publisher! I just got the reversal letter for The Wicked Bad last week. I already made the decision to move on. But I wish Crimson and the authors all the best.

But not only am I getting The Wicked Bad reverted, but numerous books from Evernight Publishing and Decadent Publishing. My one and only book from Ellora's Cave. There is quite a pile collecting over the next few months as books are taken down from vendors.So what's an author to do? Don't panic, don't rush.

I am in no hurry to get these books back out. I'm going to take my time. I have another pen name and some may be released under that name. Who knows? I have the option to do as I want for I will be self-publishing these reverted e-books on my own timetable.

In the meantime, my backlist is going to look chaotic and uneven while this transition takes place. My writing since being published has been all over the place regarding genres and heat levels but I have finally chosen my path.

Passion. Seduction. Pleasure. These are the qualities of any courtesan worth her salt. As owner of The Starling Club, London’s most notorious house of ill-repute, Madame Philomena McGrattan has seen it all, heard it all, done it all. There is little that surprises her anymore, and even less that excites her. So when she is presented a chance at an irresistible seduction, she can’t help but rise to the challenge.

A Dangerous Game

Studiousness. Practicality. Discipline. Such are the attributes of a good scholar, and such are the principles Lord Spencer Hornsby has built his life around. Alone in the Welsh countryside, with only his wolfhounds for company, Spencer has thrown himself into his work. There is little time for the pleasures of society, not even to think of the joys of the fairer sex. But when an unexpected guest arrives at his isolated hunting lodge, Spencer cannot help but be baffled by the presence of this dangerously beautiful woman. And when he discovers the reason for her arrival, and the pleasures she promises, he cannot help but find himself irresistibly intrigued . . .

EXCERPT: Phil
did have a fondness for reading Gothic novels. In fact, she’d brought a copy of
Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Doom of the Griffiths with her. Never dreamed she would
find herself in a Gothic setting, but here she stood, smack in the middle of
one.

The
hallways were dark and narrow, which made traversing difficult. Everything smelled
of damp and decay. The lighting in the place consisted of a strange combination
of candelabras and oil lamps, which showed how new mixed with old. With each
step she took, the floor groaned and squeaked in response. At the end of the
long hallway, a light flickered from under the door. The sound of barking dogs startled
her; she nearly jumped out of her skin.

“Justinian,
Theodora, quiet!”

Phil
stopped dead in her tracks at the deep, commanding voice. The animals immediately
silenced. Who wouldn’t at such a tone? It must have been the professor. Taking
a deep breath, she stepped to the door and knocked. No response. She tried
again.

Nothing.

To
hell with it. She turned the handle and crossed the threshold. What struck her all
at once was the coziness. A fire blazed in a large stone hearth on the left
side of the room. Before it laid two large, gray dogs the size of ponies. Good
God. The hounds of hell. They eyed her with indifference, but a keen intelligence
shone in their gazes, which they kept firmly on her. What were the beasts,
wolfhounds? Enough speculation on the dogs. Phil swung her gaze to the large,
ornate desk at the front of the room and the man sitting behind it.

The
professor sat hunched over, his pen scratching furiously. He was a great hairy man
with nary an inch of skin showing through. From the light of the lamp on his
desk, it appeared his long wavy locks contained a curious mix of gold and brown
as they hung forward like a curtain. He did not look up.

Phil
scanned the room. Bookcases stuffed with ancient tomes filled every wall. On
either side of the desk were two tables, the surface covered with books, maps,
scrolls, and a thin layer of dust. No doubt the man himself would smell as
musty as this room with dust and cobwebs collecting on his shoulders.

“You
may leave the tray, Mrs. Brickell.”

Phil
gave herself a moment to let the sultry and deep rumbling tone of his voice seep
into her being. The sound lingered and made her weak in the knees. Quite a
surprise, since most men didn’t garner any response from her at all. His voice,
though cultured and refined, held the dangerous purr of a large predatory cat.
Oh enough, Phil.

Suddenly,
he stopped writing, flipped through a stack of papers, stroked his beard, glanced
at the nearby bookcase, and muttered a quiet “oh.” He rose from his chair, and the
loud creak that accompanied his movement meant the source to be either the
banker’s chair or the professor. Revulsion moved through her upon seeing him
lurch toward the bookcase to retrieve a stack of yellowed and stained parchment,
keeping the same bent posture he had while sitting. Bloody hell, was the man a
cripple? Another important fact those idiotic bastards neglected to mention.
She shook the shocking revelation from her mind. The professor then moved
swiftly back to his chair and sat all the while keeping the same crooked
stance. Another disturbing creak could be heard, and she exhaled as she realized
the sound came from the oak chair. The poor man was a hunchback. Well, no matter.
She was paid to do a job regardless of the customer’s appearance.

“If you are referring to that drunk, putrid,
old woman lurking about your filthy kitchen, I regret to inform you she’s done
a runner.”

The
professor laid his pen on the desk and slowly lifted his head, cocked his thick
eyebrows, and gazed at her. “Indeed?”

Good
God, she was correct, a great hairy beast. His unruly hair stuck out in all directions,
as if it hadn’t been combed in many days. He stared at her with great owl eyes.
His spectacles were huge, taking up one half of his face while the other half
was covered in a bushy beard of all shades of color. Wouldn’t be surprised to
find a swallow making a nest in it. The attraction that occurred at hearing his
voice dissipated like a morning fog.

This
man resembled one of the filthy beggars frequenting the streets of London. A
duke’s son? Impossible.

He gave her shelter from the storm, nursed her back to health, just as any good man might do for a damsel in distress. But Tremain Colson is more than just a small town vicar performing a gallant duty. He’s an ex-soldier whose spirit has been ravaged by war, a nobleman hiding his aristocratic heritage. Yet despite his secrets, he cannot help but feel drawn to the fallen beauty and soon asks her to stay and care for the orphan in his charge…

And hers is lost…

Disgrace sent Eliza Winston out into the world, a governess in ruin. But once she finds herself in Tremain’s home—and in his bed—she realizes her handsome rescuer is the one in need of healing. No sooner does Eliza thaw the vicar’s heart than she realizes her own is in danger. For Tremain is not only the man she dreams of marrying, but a blueblood whose noble birth makes him an impossible match…

Coming in 2017, the third and final book in the Hornsby Brothers series, THE MARQUESS OF SECRETS!

Already have close to 20,000 words written, so it will happen!

Karyn Gerrard, born and raised in the Maritime Provinces of Eastern Canada, now makes her home in a small town in Northwestern Ontario. When she’s not cheering on the Red Sox or travelling in the summer with her teacher husband, she writes, reads romance, and drinks copious amounts of Earl Grey tea.

Even at a young age Karyn’s storytelling skills were apparent, thrilling her fellow Girl Guides with off-the-cuff horror stories around the campfire. A multi-published author, she loves to write sensual historicals, particularly in the Victorian era. She also writes contemporaries. Tortured heroes are an absolute must.

As long as she can avoid being hit by a runaway moose in her wilderness paradise she assumes everything is golden. Karyn’s been happily married for a long time to her own hero. His encouragement and loving support keeps her moving forward.

After a difficult year in the classroom, elementary school teacher Kerri
Coleson is close to the breaking point. All she wants is a quiet summer
to regroup and refresh. Vacationing alone at the old family homestead,
she never expected to meet a burnt out rock star or discover that he
might be the man of her dreams…

He’s desperate for her…

Following the bust-up of his group and the dissolution of his marriage,
rock star Wolfe Phalen’s world has been turned upside down. Though
intrigued by Kerri’s lush curves, nurturing personality, and sensual
response to his touch, the last thing he wants is a romantic
entanglement…

Kerri may rock Wolfe’s world, but will she rock his heart and soul?

Genre: Contemporary, erotic romance, rubenesque

Heat level: 4Word count – 17k

So a lot of the books I released with small digital e-pubs in 2013 are reverting to me fast and furious. Rock the Wolfe is down from some retailers and will come down soon at others. What will happen to this erotic romance, rock star short story?

Just to bring you up to speed, I no longer write erotic romance under this pen name. For now, this story will go on the back burner, it may become part of a small series (after extensive revisions) and will re-release under my second pen name with KG Publishing. (self-pubbing)

But that won't be for quite a while. There is a huge pile on my plate. More than I can handle. Many of these revisions will have to wait. But how nice to have these stories on the back burner for future use.

The next book to revert back to me is The Copper and the Madam on December 1st. When I get time to revise, I will be doing this one first before I look at Rock the Wolfe.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Beloved Monster is a unique historical, a mash-up of gothic, fantasy, sci-fi...you name it. But most of all...it is a romance.

What makes a man?

The wild and dissolute Viscount Ravenswood lives only for his own pleasure, caring not one wit for the broken hearts left trampled in his wake. But his decadent lifestyle finally catches up to him in a fatal carriage race. It’s an infamous and spectacular end to a brief, immoral life—or is it?

And who is the woman who loves him?

When Glenna Parker stumbles upon her cousin Reed Parker’s cluttered laboratory, she could never have imagined the mad experiment he is about to embark upon—to bring a man back from the dead. Not just any man, but Ravenswood, who once shattered her heart. With no memory of his former life, Glenna calls him Luke, and finds herself enchanted by his compassion—and passion. Protecting the scarred Luke has become Glenna’s sole mission, but can she protect her heart from her beloved monster?

I’ve always loved stories with a mash-up of different
genres, a little gothic, a little horror, and of course, romance.

When I was young, no story fascinated me more than “Frankenstein.”
From the time I heard the radio play on CBC radio (Canadian Broadcasting Corp)
and watched the 1931 movie version on the late show, the idea of being brought
back to life fuelled my imagination. And I always had a wild imagination.
Though somewhat shy, I had no problem standing before the campfire at Girl
Guide camp telling off-the-cuff horror stories.

Another gothic tale I enjoyed was “The Picture of
Dorian Gray.” Again, I saw the 1945 movie on the late show when in my teens and
it stayed with me. Let’s face it; Dorian is reprehensible, living a hedonistic
life of sin and vice. When beginning to plot Beloved Monster, (The Ravenswood
Chronicles #1) I thought wouldn’t it be cool to have Lucas Madden, Viscount
Ravenswood, the living embodiment of Dorian Gray?

That is the crux of the plot: who is the true monster,
the beautiful, dissolute, immoral Viscount Ravenswood, or the reanimated Luke
Madden, who thanks to his scars and shade of his skin, looks like a monster?

The heroine of Beloved Monster, Glenna Parker, knew
Viscount Ravenswood. But this new incarnation is nothing like the cold,
unfeeling rake that broke her heart and dashed all her romantic dreams. Luke is
kind, compassionate, and it turns outs—passionate.

Which brings in the final trope,—and a favorite of
mine—“Beauty and the Beast.” Beauty and the Beast is more of a fairy tale than
gothic, though as far as I am concerned, if a castle is involved, it’s gothic!
I vividly remember the Hallmark Hall of Fame version shown on television in
1976 with George C. Scott as the beast. (He was nominated for an Emmy) And I
absolutely adored the 1991 animated Disney version. I saw most of these
movie/TV adaptations within a few years of each other, and to a young teen,
they made a strong impact, enough to stay with me decades later.

When it came time to write my story, I didn’t want my
hero to be a stitched together cadaver; after all, this is a romance, not a
horror story. Nor did I want him to have a portrait hidden in the attic that
reflected his sins. Or literally turn into a handsome prince when he finds true
love. But Beloved Monster has a little of all these tales, but most of all,
it’s a romance.

Beloved Monster is a Victorian, historical with
gothic, science fiction, paranormal, and fantasy undertones. Like I said: a
mash-up. Protecting the scarred Luke becomes Glenna’s sole mission, but can she
protect her heart from her beloved monster?

A lifetime ago, the debauched Viscount Ravenswood lost his life, only to be revived as as new man with a new name…and a new desire for love. Now, scarred and monstrous of visage, Luke Madden has outlived his beloved wife. Crushed by loss and despair, he swears to never feel such a love again. For such a perfect mingling of souls could never happen twice in one lifetime. Especially for a beast such as Luke believes himself to be . . .

. . . how can he love forever?

Gillian Browning is a bold woman of action. But her spy activities in pre-war Germany have made her a target. Now in London, she is being hunted by ruthless Nazi operatives. Luckily, a fellow spy knows someone who can protect her—Luke. Taking Gillian to his former home in the country, he reluctantly finds himself caring for her more than he thought possible, and to his surprise she reciprocates. But when a threat from Luke’s own past increases their peril, he must decide if he has the true strength to love—and trust—again .

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NOTICE

All works by KARYN GERRARD are copyrighted including but not limited to the following: Black Desire, The Riding Crop, Black Heart, A Riding Crop for Two, Black Scar, His Wicked Celtic Kiss, Wild Pitch, The Baron and the Mistress, Timeless Heart, Bold Seduction, The Spinster and Mr. Glover, The Vicar's Frozen Heart, The Governess and the Beast, My Highlander Cover Model, Beloved Monster, That Christmas Feeling, and Beloved Beast.